1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a parts feeding apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to apparatuses for feeding small-sized parts to a suction collet or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an electronic parts feeding apparatus, an apparatus has been already well-known in which a plurality of parts dispensing units (parts cassettes) are arranged on a single parts feeding table and an arbitrary parts sending unit is placed in a parts taking-out position to feed parts by linearly moving the parts feeding table. In recent years, an apparatus comprising a plurality of parts feeding tables has been put into practice. An example of such an apparatus can be seen in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. 63-269600.
This apparatus comprises two parts feeding tables and is so adapted that both the parts feeding tables are arranged on a track wherein a common working area is set at the center and standby areas are set on both sides thereof.
In the apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. 63-269600, since the standby areas are set on both sides of the working area, when combined with an electronic parts mounting apparatus, the standby areas are forced out of the electronic parts mounting apparatus, to make it difficult to connect the electronic part mounting apparatus to peripheral equipments.
In addition, in the apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. 63-269600, the standby areas are set on both sides of the working area, and one part feeding table is transferred to the working area to feed parts and the other parts feeding table is kept waiting in the standby areas. With respect to the parts feeding table in the standby area, the operator performs the supplementation of the parts, exchange of the parts cassette, or the like; however, since the standby areas are set on both sides of the working area, the parts feeding table in the working area is often closed to the parts feeding table in the standby area, and therefore, the operator must perform such a work with paying attention to the movement of the parts feeding table in the working area.